Description
Persea –
There are 150-200 fast growing, brittle-branched, evergreen trees and shrubs in the Lauraceae family, in this genus. They occur in well drained soils to swamps in Southeast Asia, Micronesia and tropical and subtropical North and South America. They are grown for their alternate, elliptical, laurel like, pinnately veined leaves and inconspicuous unisexual flowers with 9 stamens. The flowers are followed by the familiar large rough surfaced, rounded or pear shaped fruit, which have a very high fat content.
Grow these frost tender plants in moderately fertile, humus rich, well drained soil in full sun. Protect from strong wind. It drops leaves constantly.
Prone to leaf spots, trunk cankers and rot, black mildew, root rot, Verticillium wilt, thrips, mealybugs. Nematodes, ans sun scald.
P. borbonia – Flordia Mahogany – Red Bay – Red Bay Persea – This much branched evergreen tree from the swamps of Delaware to Florida grows 30-40′ feet tall and half as wide. It produces lance shaped, hairless, glaucous, fragrant, mid green leaves to 6″ long. It bears panicles to 6″ long, of few to several yellow green flowers, ½” across, followed by blackish blue fruit, ½” in diameter.
Zones 8-11
